Tag: faith

Faith

Symphony for a Friend: A Literary Composition in Four Parts

Posted on by Clay Rivers
Cathedral Church of Saint Luke interior, photo by the author.

Within the last two months as many of my closest friends have died, Joel Strack and Ben Lane. The former’s passing came with the gift of a month of hospice care which afforded his friends the opportunity to reminisce about days long gone, when we had more hair, less excess weight, and our futures seemed boundless. It also granted his family time to see firsthand their beloved’s impact on Central Florida. With the latter’s passing, we were not so fortunate.

Faith

Losing, Reclaiming, and Reconciling My Religion with My Sexuality

Posted on by Clay Rivers
rawpixel.com

I was brought up in a Christian home. All four of my grandparents — God rest their souls, my father (had) and my mother still has a palpable faith in God and a relationship with Christ. They had to. They were Black people living in the south. Their faith is my heritage. I accepted Christ as my savior when I was sixteen. Nothing made me happier knowing that one day I’d get to meet Jesus face to face.

Faith

God Is Real (Despite the Awfulness of Humanity)

Posted on by Clay Rivers
Image by Eidy Bambang Sunyaro, at unsplash.com

Things are tough. All over. A lot of people are hurting physically, emotionally, financially, and spiritually. All any of us need do is turn on the TV, log into social media, or if you’re really daring, step outside your front door and there it is: the awfulness of humanity. With this pervasive level of devastation, a friend of mine asked, as I’m sure many more of you have —

“If God is real, then why do things like [insert tragedy] happen?”

The Bigger Picture

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2017

Posted on by Clay Rivers

“Use me God. Show me how to take who I am, who I want to be, and what I can do, and use it for a purpose greater than myself.”
–Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today we pay tribute to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Some fifty years after his assassination, we laud him and lift him to the level of American

Faith

Love One Another: It’s Just That Simple

Posted on by Clay Rivers
Candlelight vigil in downtown Orlando. (Photo: Dr. Phiillips Center for the Performing Arts)

It seems that some churches have had a difficult time figuring out how to respond to the Pulse massacre. The answer is simple, and to quote Jesus, “love one another.” There it is. Three words. It doesn’t get any simpler than that. I’m no Biblical scholar, but this one seems to be … well … a no-brainer.

On the night before his crucifixion, Jesus says “love one another” to his Disciples not once, but twice. If memory serves me correctly, Jesus and the Disciples are in the upper room

The Raindancer, The Write Life

Life’s Not About Waiting for the Storms to Pass

Posted on by Clay Rivers

richwillis Five years ago today Rich Willis went home to be with the Lord after his battle with cancer. This family man, inspiring friend, and all-around good guy leaves a legacy of unwavering faith, positive attitude, indomitable sense of humor, and compassion for others that is lived out daily through his family and friends.

Their stories will present the world in a whole new light and give you the courage to dance in the midst of life’s storms.

(Trust me, Gene Kelly’s got nothing on this guy.)